Member Avatar for annapanagiot

Hi

I need to upgrade my PC's RAM. The motherboard is
the MSI K8N Diamond - SLi
http://www.trustedreviews.com/motherboards/review/2005/02/10/MSI-K8N-Diamond-SLi-Motherboard/p1

Could you please tell me if it supports the Corsair 4GB DDR2 XMS2
Dominator PC2-8500C5 TwinX (2x2GB)?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-148-CS&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=817&name=Corsair%204GB%20DDR2%20XMS2%20Dominator%20PC2-8500C5%20TwinX%20(2x2GB)%20Supplied%20with%20Airflow%20Fan%20(TWIN2X4096-8500C5DF)

If not, what is the fastest/latest type of memory that I can use?


Many thanks in advance

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by caperjack

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Short summary and practical next steps for (and anyone else reading this old thread):

The K8N Diamond (MS‑7100) is a Socket‑939 board that uses 184‑pin DDR (PC‑266/333/400) DIMMs and supports up to 4 GB total (practical max 1 GB per slot). In short: DDR2 kits (like the Corsair PC2‑8500 Dominator) will not work in those slots — was correct. (manualmachine.com)

Why the system shows ~3.25 GB with 4 GB installed: 32‑bit Windows has a 4 GB address space and some of that range is reserved for devices (video memory, PCI mapping, etc.), so the OS reports less than the physical RAM. To see the full 4 GB (or more) you need a 64‑bit OS. (learn.microsoft.com)

If a CPU upgrade is still planned, remember the board is Socket‑939. The fastest Socket‑939 parts historically were single‑core FX models (e.g., FX‑57) and the fastest dual‑core X2 parts for that socket (e.g., Athlon 64 X2 4800+). Confirm any candidate CPU against MSI’s MS‑7100 CPU support list and be prepared to flash the correct BIOS first — many later X2/FX parts required BIOS updates to be recognised. Also note these CPUs are discontinued and usually available only used. (techpowerup.com)

Concrete, low‑risk path forward:

  • Keep matched PC3200 (DDR‑400) sticks — the manual shows the recommended slot population (green slots first) and 1 GB per DIMM limits. Update the BIOS to the latest MS‑7100 build before fitting a different CPU.
  • For reliable HDV realtime work, prioritize a stronger platform upgrade (newer motherboard + AM2/AM3 or Intel CPU, DDR2/DDR3, faster disks) — that yields much larger gains than chasing the last percent on Socket‑939. (manualmachine.com)

Cautions: flash BIOS only with official MSI files for the MS‑7100, confirm TDP and cooling for any Socket‑939 CPU you buy, and remember a 64‑bit OS reinstall is needed to fully utilise >3.2 GB of RAM. (manualmachine.com)

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Member Avatar for caperjack

Hi

I need to upgrade my PC's RAM. The motherboard is
the MSI K8N Diamond - SLi
http://www.trustedreviews.com/motherboards/review/2005/02/10/MSI-K8N-Diamond-SLi-Motherboard/p1

Could you please tell me if it supports the Corsair 4GB DDR2 XMS2
Dominator PC2-8500C5 TwinX (2x2GB)?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-148-CS&groupid=701&catid=8&subcat=817&name=Corsair%204GB%20DDR2%20XMS2%20Dominator%20PC2-8500C5%20TwinX%20(2x2GB)%20Supplied%20with%20Airflow%20Fan%20(TWIN2X4096-8500C5DF)

If not, what is the fastest/latest type of memory that I can use?


Many thanks in advance

nope ,fastest it takes is 1 gig x 4 ,ddr 400, also knows as pc3200.
it doesent support ddr2 ram acording the msi site.

Member Avatar for annapanagiot

thanks for that. For the moment I will have to double the old 2x1GB (pc3200) that I already have, in order to get the 4GB that I need. probably upgrade the whole system later.

thanks again

Member Avatar for caperjack

there are ram limits with winxp 32 bit systems and 4 gig ram but im not up on the details .but you could google or search daniweb about it, just found this thread .
http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread90480.html

Member Avatar for annapanagiot

Hi again

I've just added 2 more GB of RAM ( Corsair 2048MB (2x1024MB) PC-3200 400MHz DDR ) to my MSI K8N Diamond - SLi motherboard
( )
without having the desired result: I need to edit/playback HDV footage in real-time.

I've checked your link about the 4gig ram and you were right, it appears on my system properties as 3.25gig.

Therefore I will also have to upgrade my cpu of my current system. Since I have no idea about processors either, could you please tell me which is the fastest possible cpu that I can put to the above motherboard?

the cpu that I have at the moment is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual

many thanks in advance

Member Avatar for caperjack

Hi again

I've just added 2 more GB of RAM ( Corsair 2048MB (2x1024MB) PC-3200 400MHz DDR ) to my MSI K8N Diamond - SLi motherboard
( )
without having the desired result: I need to edit/playback HDV footage in real-time.

I've checked your link about the 4gig ram and you were right, it appears on my system properties as 3.25gig.

Therefore I will also have to upgrade my cpu of my current system. Since I have no idea about processors either, could you please tell me which is the fastest possible cpu that I can put to the above motherboard?

the cpu that I have at the moment is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual

many thanks in advance

hi ,the link in my post #2, tell cpu support ,but you would need to do some research as to what one is the best for what you want to do ,best start with google or local dealers

Member Avatar for annapanagiot

thanks again

Member Avatar for caperjack

no problem

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